budget wisely

Houston renters get a lot of value for $1,500 per month, study finds

The average apartment size in Houston is only 881 square feet, but renters can size up to a 983-square-foot apartment for just $154 more.

Photo by Naomi Hébert on Unsplash

A new apartment analysis by RentCafe has revealed renters living in the Houston area can get some of the largest apartments in Texas for just $1,500 a month.

Houston renters can get the 10th largest apartments statewide – spanning 983 square feet – for a $1,500 monthly budget. For added context, the average size of Houston apartment is only 881 square feet, which would cost about $1,345 a month.

The study examined data from RentCafe's sister site, Yardi Matrix, to determine the average size and price per square foot for a $1,500 monthly budget in 200 of the largest American cities. According to the study's findings, the national average size of an apartment only spans 729 square feet for a $1,500 monthly price tag.

Over in the neighboring suburb of Pasadena, renters can get the sixth-largest apartments in Texas for the same budget, at a spacious 1,133 square feet.

In comparison to RentCafe's 2023 study, Houston-area renters are saddled with doing more with less when it comes to the spaciousness of their apartments and the size of their budgets. Pasadena residents previously were able to find 1,180-square-foot apartments for $1,500 a month last year, while Houstonians were able to find 997-square-foot apartments for the same amount of money.

In the national ranking of the largest U.S. cities with the greatest average apartment space, Wichita, Kansas claimed the No. 1 spot with apartments spanning 1,359 square feet. Houston made it into the top 25, coming in at No. 22 nationally. Pasadena ranked No. 18 in the national comparison of the top 100 small U.S. cities.

Houston renters may be more satisfied to live in the far-flung suburb of Conroe, which recently ranked as the No. 31 best suburb for renters nationwide. RentCafe says the average apartment size in Conroe is 920 square feet for only $1,357 a month as of March 2024.

Apartment sizes around Texas
For the second year in a row, Austin is the worst offender in Texas with the smallest apartment space for a $1,500 monthly budget. Austin renters have to make do with an average apartment size of 759 square feet, which is a 284-square-foot difference from Houston. Austin (once again) is at the bottom of the list in the overall analysis of Texas cities, and ranked No. 63 in the national comparison.

Renters in the Rio Grande Valley city of McAllen are still getting the most bang for their buck with the best price per square foot in Texas for the second consecutive year. McAllen renters can find 1,423-square-foot apartments for just $1,500 a month. Brownsville (located 60 miles east of McAllen) is home to the third-largest apartments in Texas for the same budget, with a 1,285-square-foot average apartment size.

Across North Texas, Dallas and Fort Worth renters will notice a 103-square-foot difference between apartments, at 815 and 918 square feet, respectively. Residents can use their monthly budget more wisely in suburbs like Mesquite, with apartments covering 969 square feet.

houston apartments pasadena rent prices reports real estate

renter livability report

New study ranks Houston as one of the worst places for renters in U.S.

Photo by Leo Yao on Unsplash

Houston flopped toward the bottom as one of the worst places for renters in the nation.

Renters looking for a place in Texas that balances affordability, convenience, and quality of life may want to look outside of Houston, which was just named the 144th "best" city to rent in America.

Houston's rental market apparently leaves much to be desired, according to WalletHub's newly released report, "Best & Worst Places to Rent in America." Experts analyzed 182 U.S. rental markets based on 21 relevant metrics, including the difference between rental rates and mortgage payments, rental affordability, the local cost of living, job availability, and more.

Surprisingly, Amarillo was deemed the No. 1 best Texas city for renters, and it ranked 10th nationally. Hot Dallas suburb Plano came in second place statewide and ranks 12th for a second year in a row, leaving Austin in third place and 13th overall (up from No. 31 last year).

The report said Houston has the 120th best quality of life out of all 182 U.S. cities in the report, and the city ranked 127th nationally in the "renter market and affordability" category. Ouch.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the best cities for renters offer much more than inexpensive housing, a good job market, and recreational activities. For example, rent prices in the top cities cost tenants as little as 15 percent of their income.

"You’ll also have access to robust laws that protect renters, such as limiting deposits to only a month or two of rent," Lupo added.

Houston residents know their city better than a study ever could, so they can decide if the city's renter market isn't up to par. A separate RentCafe study found the city has become a magnet for Gen Z renters searching for good job opportunities, recreation, and good schools. And now that local rent prices are declining, things might be starting to look up for Houston renters.

Though renting can be more cost effective than owning a property, WalletHub said it's not always a better choice.

"The right road to take depends on a variety of factors, including an individual’s or family’s financial means and how well the local real-estate market is doing," the report said. "Like home prices, rental rates can vary significantly by region, state or city."

Other Texas cities that ranked among the top 100 best places to rent in America include:

No. 24 – El Paso
No. 34 – Grand Prairie
No. 37 – Laredo
No. 48 – Brownsville
No. 49 – Arlington
No. 50 – Fort Worth
No. 63 – Corpus Christi
No. 64 – San Antonio
No. 66 – Irving
No. 79 – Garland
No. 81 – Lubbock

wallethub reports rent report renting real estate